David Mamet’s Letter to The Unit

Sometimes, when you’re sitting alone in a room trying to tell a story you start to wonder “is this making sense to anyone else but me?” A dangerous temptation (which I succumb to all the time) is to over-explain your character’s feelings and motivations. This results in “on-the-nose” dialogue, meaning dialogue that spells everything out, leaving no room for subtext or reader interaction.

Recently, Stephen R. Bissette shared this letter David Mamet wrote to the writing staff of The Unit with me and my fellow students at The Center for Cartoon Studies. It’s a good reminder that though exposition is important, it’s not the most important element in the scene. If you have inspired the reader to read the next page, you’ve done your job well.

What would you do if your brother lost his mind… literally? Will Doom find Danger's runaway brain before the test at school, or will he have a brainless brother forever?!

Short Notes on Long Comics

Three-Act Story Structure in Graphic Novels

"Short Notes on Long Comics is awesome!”
— Calista Brill, Editor for First Second Books

Short Notes on Long Comics will show you how three-act story structure is used in 10 of the most popular graphic novels on the market. From their example, you can learn how to structure your own story and make your graphic novel the best it can be.